Theme Layout

Boxed or Wide or Framed

[Boxed]

Theme Translation

Display Featured Slider

No

Featured Slider Styles

[Fullwidth]

Display Grid Slider

No

Grid Slider Styles

Display Trending Posts

No

Display Author Bio

No

Display Instagram Footer

Powered by Blogger.

Search This Blog

Blog Archive

So Let's Cast On - Part 1 Cable Cast On


So for today's post, I thought I would tackle the casting on for our socks. Now there are many ways to cast on but for now, I will show two. We have a basic one and then we have my favourite, which I use all the time and I basically use this cast on for all my knitting.

So I will start with the first one which is a cable cast on. This is a basic cast on and it's a good cast on for a beginner. To use this type of cast on simply make a slip knot and slip this onto your dpn.


Then you slip your needle in the slip knot and wrap your yarn around so that it goes between the needles to make our second stitch.


Then just knit that stitch to keep casting on.




So to continue on you stick your needle between the first stitch and the second and then wrap the yarn around as though to knit, you then knit the stitch onto your needle.So once you have set the first two stitches you continue on casting on until you have the correct amount of stitches.

So when I cast on for socks using dpn I cast on one needle and then transfer my stitches around until I have the correct amount of stitches on all needles. When I can I divide my stitches equally between each needle. Otherwise, I put the most stitches between two needles and I make this my instep and the other stitches become my heel stitches.

So I hope this post helps with how to cast on for socks when using a basic cable cast on. In my next post, I will show you how to cast on using The Long Tail Cast On which is my preferred method.


Hope this is helpful. Need help? Contact me.

Happy Knitting
Sharyn

QuickEdit
Sharyn Mathieson
2 Comments
Share :

My Current Work In Progress


Today I thought I would look at my current work in progress. It's a pair of socks I start making for my daughter but she wasn't happy with them so now they are going to my hubby. I was a bit surprise really that he said he would have them, I thought the colour would be too bright for him!


I've chosen a simple Garter Rib stitch for this pair of socks, I like to keep my sock stitches simple as it makes for easy sock knitting. The Garter Rib stitch pattern is made up of two rows: Row 1: K2, P2,
Row 2: Knit. How easy is that!

So I wanted to ask a quick question. Beginner sock knitters may not suffer from this but some seasoned sock knitters might. Do you suffer with second sock syndrome? I myself don't usually suffer with this problem but I have found with this pair I'am a bit. When this happens to you, what do you do? I myself try and just push through it and just knit, knit, knit. But with this pair it's not happening.


So if your a beginner sock knitter be warned this could happen to you, so be prepared. Also I always keep a note book with all my sock details in it. This way I can keep track and I know exactly where I'm at. I mark down every row I knit, so this way all my socks are always the same as each other. I sometimes found when I first started knitting socks that I couldn't quiet get the pairs to match. But now because I do it this way they are always a perfect pair. I have been doing it this way for a very LONG time. I have gone through a few note books!


 So here's hoping I can get back into finishing this pair of socks for my hubby and he will soon end up with a new pair of socks. Hopefully in the not too distant future I will be posting with an update on a finished pair of socks! Have a good weekend.

Happy Knitting
Sharyn




QuickEdit
Sharyn Mathieson
0 Comments
Share :

Let's Talk About Gauge


So today I want to talk about gauge, it's not something I enjoy but it has to be done. First off I will let you know what you have to do then I will tell you how to knit your swatch for sock knitting.

First off with any knitted swatch once it has been knitted you must wash it then once dry take several measurements over 4 inches. I usually take 2 measurements in 2 different spots and hopefully they are the same. If you get 2 different then take another measurement and hopefully after that you will have 2 the same. Once that's done just divide the number by 4. Also with knitting a swatch I always use a basic cast on and I always just do a stockinette stitch swatch for my socks.

So now let's look at knitting a circular swatch for sock knitting. I like to knit my circular swatches flat, so to do this I use my dpn and cast on enough stitches to cover my 4 inches. I then knit across these stitches, now with normal knitting I would turn this work around and purl back. So what we do is carry the yarn loosely to the start again and knit back again, so that way we are knitting every row. Now make sure to carry that yarn loosely as once we have finished our swatch and cast off, these strands will be cut. So you also want to knit the swatch large enough so that you get a good measurement.

Knit your swatch
Carry yarn loosely at back
Cast off
Cut threads


Then once you have it knitted, washed and dried it's time for measuring. When measuring, it's best to measure with a ruler. I measure 4 inches, I pin this then I use another dpn and count my stitches between the pins. Then you just divide by 4 and that gives you your gauge for 1 inch and then you can go on to work out how many stitches to cast on.

Measure 4", pin and count the stitches
If you need any help with knitting your sock gauge, I have a channel on YouTube with help videos. You will find it here. Need help? Contact me.

Happy Knitting
Sharyn


QuickEdit
Sharyn Mathieson
0 Comments
Share :

So What Socks?


So now let's think about what type of socks we would like to knit. This is one good thing about being a sock knitter. For winter time you can knit yourself some boot socks and these would require knitting your socks with thicker yarn. Summer socks can be knit using a mixture of bamboo/wool yarn or even a cotton mixture and you could also make them as anklet socks. So that is socks made using different weight yarns and that's not the end of it. You could make bed socks using sports weight yarn.



So let's look at the socks themselves. You can make anklet socks, crew socks or even knee high socks. I've seen knee high socks knit having a big toe knit like a thumb on a glove, these could be knit for someone who likes wearing flip flops. They would also make a great gift, I could see myself gifting a pair of these to a teenager. I have also seen knee highs knit with all the toes like a glove, I've never knit any of these type socks as I don't like the idea of sewing up.



Another thing if you suffer from cold feet then you can knit yourself some bed socks and you can choose the weight of yarn you want to use. This is the great thing about sock knitting. So now all you need to do is think about what type of sock you would like to knit for yourself.

Hope this is helpful. Need help? Contact me.

Happy Knitting
Sharyn






QuickEdit
Sharyn Mathieson
0 Comments
Share :

Sock Knitting Tools For The Beginners


So you are new to sock knitting and want to know where to start. Well, the first thing we need to look at is our tools for knitting socks.

The first thing you will need is a sock pattern and a new sock knitter is going to want a basic sock pattern. You can look in your local yarn store or of course go online. A great community to join where you can source patterns and some of them are free is Ravelry, it's also free to sign up to. You may also want to look at books as there are plenty of sock books out there.

The next thing you will need is sock yarn, it's usually 4 ply fingering and what I personally use is Superwash Merino with nylon. It's usually 75% Superwash Merino to 25% Nylon, you want the nylon in the yarn to give it some strength. You will find that over time you will find what you enjoy knitting with. And even though I use Superwash I still like to handwash my socks as I think handwashing looks after them better and keeps them in better shape.


Also with yarn it will come in either 50 or 100 gm. balls and it also comes in hanks. The yellow yarn above is a hank. With these you need to wind it into a ball, this can be done with another person helping you or by using a knitting swift and ball winder. The photo below is from one of the balls that I wound using this method.


Next, of course, you are going to want knitting needles and when knitting socks you use double
pointed knitting needles (dpn). Double pointed needles can come in packets of 4 or 5 needles and I think when starting out it's probably best to start with 4. It's easier this way and I will explain once we start getting into the knitting of socks.Now down the track that may change as you can also knit socks on circular needles but that is for a later date.


Lastly, some accessories which you may or may not want, you will need a tape measure, a pair of scissors and a darning needle to sew in any ends and graft the toe end. Later you may want to get some nice stitch markers.


 So these are the basic tools you will need to get started on knitting socks but later you may find that you will be collecting other things. So here's hoping you get your stuff together for my next post.

Hope this is helpful. Need help? Contact me.

Happy Knitting
Sharyn

QuickEdit
Sharyn Mathieson
4 Comments
Share :

My Sock Knitting Journey


Hi, this blog is going to be about helping those that want to know how to knit socks. I plan to share my journey and experience on sock knitting.

I have been sock knitting for many years and when I started I knew nothing but over the years I have gone from one step to another teaching myself along the way. When I started knitting socks I used 4 dp needles and a Patons sock pattern. That poor old pattern got used so often that I had to stick it back together. Also because I used that pattern over and over I became very familiar with it and practical knew it off by heart.




From there I went to circular needles and at that time I was knitting my socks using 2 circular needles and the sock knitting book by Cat Bordhi. I knitted alot of my socks using this technique. Then I went onto using 1 long circular needle and I knit all my socks using this technique. I also use just one pattern now and it's a basic pattern that can be adjusted to any gauge. It's a book by Ann Budd, it has other articles of clothing that you can make and you just need to work out your gauge and then it has everything worked out for you. This book for me is like the Patons pattern I used many years ago, I've used it for that long that I know the pattern off by heart. The good thing about this book is that you don't only have to knit plain socks you can knit patterned socks once you become familiar with sock knitting and the pattern.



You never know where this will lead you. I ended up by designing a couple of socks myself and who knows you could end up doing the same.

So I'm hoping this blog will help you on your journey where you start knitting socks one way but end up knitting your socks totally different.

Let me warn you as well sock knitting can become very addictive, you may find yourself collecting sock yarn and sock knitting books. I know I did!

Happy Knitting






QuickEdit
Sharyn Mathieson
0 Comments
Share :
[name=Sharyn]

Follow @georgialoustudios